Tech Tips

Let's start with the basics. Water freezes at 32° Fahrenheit (0° Celsius) at sea level and at atmospheric pressure. When any surface is below that temperature, and the air around it contains moisture, ice/frost will form. In some situations, ice is to be expected, such as in refrigeration evaporators and exposed portions of the refrigeration […]

Today, I ran a service call with another tech where the previous tech had diagnosed an intermittent piston restriction. I read the history beforehand. For the past several years, there were many assorted comfort complaints and a lot of minor charge adjustments in both the summer and winter. It is worth noting here that the […]

I've always opposed the practice of grabbing a hub puller as the first method of removing a blower. This video by Brad Hicks with HVAC in SC on YouTube demonstrates the exact method I use to safely remove a blower wheel without damaging anything. Thanks, Brad! Transcript What's going on, guys? Here's another 60-second tech […]

When working in a business with people, you have two options: 1. Become bitter as you experience people, life, and issues. 2. Grow from experiencing people, life, and issues. I’m not proud to say it, but I realize now that when I started my business and had bad experiences, I would run to option #1 […]

At the time of the publication of this article, COVID-19 (coronavirus) is spreading across the world at an alarming rate, and many people have self-quarantined to help slow or stop the spread of the virus. These precautionary measures are prudent and responsible. However, with the increased amount of time people spend inside their homes, there […]

Both wet-bulb temperature and air enthalpy are extremely useful to understand when calculating actual system capacity and human comfort. Dry-bulb temperature is a reading of the average molecular velocity of dry air. However, it does not account for the actual heat content of the air or the evaporative cooling effect of the air. When air […]

Oxidation is the loss of electrons, reduction is the gain of electrons, and the reaction is what occurs between the two. When we talk about chemistry or chemical reactions, we are really talking about an electrical interaction between molecules seeking equilibrium. In other the words, the old “high voltage goes to low voltage” rule applies […]

Let's take a deeper dive into the magic that is gas defrost. Most techs who are familiar with heat pumps understand the basics of a gas defrost. When we apply this strategy to a larger system where we're only reversing a small part of the system, we need to add some controls and valves to […]

The amount of pressure you're under depends on where you live. I live in Florida, so I'm very close to sea level. Therefore, the weight of the atmosphere is exerting exactly 14.7 pounds per square inch (PSIA) of pressure on every surface in every direction. There is no such thing as negative pressure—only pressure lower […]